Swiss wrestling faces fan behaviour concerns

Swiss wrestling, known as schwingen, continues to grow in popularity, but its increasing commercialisation has raised concerns. Wrestlers and officials worry about preserving the traditions and values of this traditional Swiss sport. The atmosphere at some wrestling festivals has been a recurring topic of concern this season. "We must ensure the atmosphere doesn’t become like that of football matches," says Peter Imfeld, an official of the Swiss Wrestling Federation, speaking to Swiss public television, SRF. Imfeld, once one of Switzerland’s toughest wrestlers, is a former Swiss champion and ten-time winner of the prestigious Brünigschwinget schwingen event. ‘Fan camps becoming too extreme’ "I remember in my day, everything was always respectful," says Imfeld, now technical director of the Obwalden and Nidwalden Wrestling Association. "Today, there are fan camps that are becoming too extreme." This issue came to the forefront after a match between Switzerland’s “Schwingen King,” ...